Garden

[JustJazzmom]

Another factor is lack of native plants for their larval stages or for their nourishment.

Butterfly gardening is becoming more and more popular over the past 10 years and more homeowners are more aware of the use of herbicides that more is not necessarily 'better'.

[LTT1]

This news breaks my heart...

Such beautiful things we are destroying...

[Lilysmom]

Two years ago I was visiting a gardening friend.  She had a gorgeous butterfly bush and I have never seen so many Monarch butterflies at once in my life.  The bush was loaded with them.  It was a beautiful sight.  Unfortunately, the butterfly bushes don't survive a tough winter here. I'm have lost two and my friend has lost three.  There are some areas of the Province where they can survive but not here.

The butterflies are all over my cone flowers and hydrangeas this year but they are not as plentiful.  I just planted my two milkweed plants yesterday.  Hopefully we will have a better winter this year!

[mousiegirl]

I leave a clay saucer half filled with sand and water for butterflies to drink.  It is to be nestled a bit into the ground so as to be ground level.  They rest on the sand as they drink. I don't know if lack of water is the reason they are dying, but it is so sad to learn of this.

[mousiegirl]

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@Lilysmom wrote:

So sad to hear this.  We don't have as many butterflies in the garden this year.  Our color is very late.  I bought two milkweed plants to put in the garden.  Apparently the butterflies lay their eggs in this plant.  Many people in our area are planting milkweed.  There is a lot of talk of this plant on social media here.  LM

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I planted two also this year, and I saw a butterfly near it the other day, so hopefully, the word will get out and they will return.

[lucymo]

We have quite a few butterflies in our yard now.  I haven't noticed any dead ones around.  Hopefully, I won't as it makes me sad to see them laying on the ground.

[Another new name Sue]

Butterflies don't live long, not like birds, but for only a few weeks. Their job is to lay eggs to create the next generation.

As for Monarchs, they lay their eggs on the backs of milkweed leaves.  When the eggs hatch, the caterpillars eat the milkweed, make their chrysalises (NOT cocoons, that's for moths), then emerge as butterflies to start the cycle over again.  There are people who collect the eggs and raise the butterflies in a safe environment, releasing them when they emerge. 

If you have milkweed, check the backs of leaves.  The eggs are small and white.  Check for munched leaves which could be a sign of caterpillars.  The caterpillars and yellow and black striped. 

[JustJazzmom]

Monarch caterpillars:

[Moonchilde]

FWIW, our natural history museum has a butterfly house from spring through summer, but every year, it ceases in early September. I'm thinking there has to be a reason for this, though I don't know what it is. If anyone could, you'd think a natural history museum would keep it going every year as long as they could (it's in a protected enclosure) as it's very popular. But it stops the first or second week in September every year. Lack of the right food or breeding conditions/season? 

I went one year and didn't realize until I got home that I'd caught a perfect close-up photo of butterfly procreation. LOL.

[MaRina]

We have two huge butterfly bushes in our backyard, we see hummingbirds enjoying them but not many butterflies. I've been wondering why, after reading your posts about them dying and why makes sense and saddens me.